Dark Winds
by EternalShade33
Summary: It was supposed to be just another robbery. That mission turned into a loss and a blessing at the same time. And I gotta say, if I were able to go back in time to change anything, that day wouldn't be one of them. I'm glad I was taken out at the time because if I wasn't I wouldn't be here, I would probably be stealing even more, in jail, or dead, so I'm genuinely happy it happened.


I entered the room, it was the same room as usual for the boss, fine lights decorating his office, a nice desk that was probably worth more than me from the looks of it with papers scattered around here and there on its surface. A few chairs laying about, with my boss sitting behind the desk.

I stood nearby, looking at him as I awaited my mission.

"Ventus, here's your next job, be quick about it. There is a lot riding on this mission and we can't afford you messing it up," His tone reflecting the words he speaks, with his face looking just as serious. He quickly passed me a folder, and when I looked in I widened my eyes. I then nodded as I handed it back to him and I made my way out.

As I was leaving I noticed a woman nearby, but with the shadows all around I couldn't make any guess to her features so I kept going, figuring I would figure why she was here soon enough.

I quickly made my way out of headquarters, going through the entrance nearby the forest, and made my way towards my destination.

* * *

It was supposed to be just another job. Sure it sounded a bit out of place, but that comes naturally with the business I work in. Even if this was the first time I was stealing from these guys.

The job was simple, if a bit difficult to pull off. I had to steal some dust shipments from the Schnee dust company. Get in, locate the target, send off a signal for the guys in the helicopter and get out with the dust. Luckily it was by the docks with a new shipment, most likely stored in one of the hangers. The security would of been difficult, this being a Schnee job and they are never one to not guard their cargo, but I thought I could do it.

I went out at the dead of night, the shadows covering me giving me an edge in sneaking. I scanned the front entrance to see what I should expect but saw no one guarding the front gates. I saw at the most one of their typical robots, but it was standing still and I could see a pathway around it. It was surprisingly simple.

"Maybe too simple," I voiced out loud, low enough for no one to hear though.

Who knows though, maybe it was just pure luck, but if I didn't take it now it's possible that guards would show up, you never know.

It was with this thought in mind that I slipped into the compound, sneaking by the robot with practiced ease as I made it in. I took a look around to see anything that was too far for me to normally see. From the looks of it there was a hanger to my left, with a bunch of containers all lying about in the open.

I widened my eyes as I quickly ducked to the side as it seemed like a patrolling robot came from behind me, I hid behind another container that was opposite of the patrolling robot, watching it walk where I once was before it turned the corner and kept walking. With a sigh of relief I walked back around the container I was hiding behind before making my move. I ran as quickly as I could to the hanger, the Intel said it would most likely be there.

'Why is this so easy,' My mind kept whispering to me as I made my way into the hanger. It was a mantra that kept repeating itself as I made my way around searching for the dust container. There were no regular guards patrolling, only the robots, and even those were being too lax for my liking. My sense of foreboding at the situation was steadily increasing, but I had to complete the mission. There was definitely no walking back without them knowing that I made an attempt, and if they knew that I ran with there being no security for a dust shipment, I would be severely punished.

I kept looking. Eventually with an easy bypass of another guard and a few minutes of scanning the containers, he found what he was sent here for. The dust container, and man was it loaded.

I narrowed my eyes. 'It can't be this simple,' My mind whispered to me again, and for once I'd like to think I was paranoid enough to actively see if anything was amiss. It's possible that normally this would get me spotted, but I thought that at the time I had nothing to lose, and at the very least it would put my mind at ease. So at that moment I looked around, aura enhancing my senses to see further than I could before.

It was that very thing that saved my life.

I tried to sidestep as I saw them come into my field of vision, but they were moving too fast, the blade coming dangerously close to my neck. I bent down, trying to duck, and do a 180 so that I could face my supposed ambusher. The blade going clean over my head, cutting a few hairs on my head. Once I saw I had fully dodged the surprise attack on me, I put as much distance as I could between me and them.

It turns out that the dodge was a bad call on my end.

At first I just thought that my vision was turning a bit red with anger, but a second later the pain came, and blood seeped down my cheek. I cried out in pain, clutching my now cut open eye, as I kept my working left eye on the enemy.

He stood still looking at me with a cocky grin, almost looking like he was about halfway to laughing. I cursed in my mind as I could clearly see at the very least they were skilled, most likely a hunter, something I dreaded, and if their speed was an indicator they were a high ranking hunter at that.

"Sorry kid," They said, shrugging their shoulders as he kept his sword on his shoulder, blood still coating the edge. He started to walk towards him slowly, almost mockingly, as they kept talking.

"But it seems like you were sold out, apparently it was either you or them, and they chose you," The hunter said, laughing at the end of it.

I really wish I could question what he meant by that, question why the people I have worked with for years have betrayed me, question _why I didn't just leave at the obvious trap!_ But it was too late for questions, and it looked like the hunter was done talking. I moved first, knowing that I was most likely outmatched. I took out my sword, my weapon I myself designed, as I split it into two. I would need all the coverage I could get against this guy.

I backpedaled, attempting to put more space between us, but it seemed like it was worthless as he was almost instantly in front of me, sword aimed to slash at my chest.

It would never connect as I blocked it with my two swords, but he instead kicked me to the side, sending me flying into a shipping container, denting it.

I gasped for breath as I tried to get myself together, putting up a weak dodge to get out of the way as he stabbed right were I just was, impaling the container.

I attempted to make a counter attack, but it seemed like he effortlessly dodged my attack. 'He's too good,' My mind told me, 'You're just going to end up dead,'. I didn't want to believe it but it was true, any attack made by me is worthless with this guys speed, and he has the strength to back up his own attacks.

The fight continued. We both made our attacks and blocks with a few dodges here and there, but he wasn't getting hit, while I kept accumulating bruises and cuts with each passing minute.

It took around five minutes before I was almost passing out, the cuts on my body bleeding more and more. It felt like I had a few cracked ribs, and my left leg had to at least be fractured with the way it hurt with every movement.

And he just laughed. He apparently found this fight funny if anything.

I couldn't do anything, while my semblance helped me in this fight greatly, his speed almost completely counters it. 'I'm dead,' Was my last thought before I helplessly watched, almost in slow motion, as he roundhouse kicked me into the water below. I was unconscious before I even hit the water.

* * *

I slowly came to. I was a bit drowsy and numb, and I looked around to see I was in a hospital room. It at least explained why I felt the way I did, I was on medicine. A nurse came by and saw I was awake, and quickly walked away. A minute later and a doctor came into the room. He walks over to one of the chairs inside and sits down, and does a bit of paperwork silently.I decided to break the silence.

"What happened?"

He looks up at me.

"You were found on a nearby beach unconscious and injured, so you were taken here. The cuts you had were easy to fix, other than the one on your left arm, it might scar. The broken ribs and fractured femur are going to keep you here for a bit longer, although it seems that your aura is doing a decent enough job helping along in the process." He monotones as he goes back to his paperwork. "You were out for four days, so you might be feeling a bit stiff, but you're going to have to deal with it."

The doctor sighs before adopting a serious tone.

"Your eye on the other hand... is gone. The damage was too set in by the time we got to it, the most me could do was fix it up so that we didn't need to remove it, but you can no longer see out of your right eye. I'm sorry."

I didn't know how to react. My hands automatically go up to my eye, that I now notice I can't see from, and feel a bandage covering it. I didn't know what to do.

The doctor it seems finishes up with his paperwork, and heads out of the room, closing the door behind him, leaving me to my thoughts, although not for long.

It wasn't even ten minutes after the doctor left that police came into the room. I should have known that they would come, but there was nothing I could do. I was too injured to make an escape and if I tried, I wouldn't make it far. They could obviously link me to the crime spree that I had preformed cause I look a lot like the wanted picture they had of me, and also the fact that a mysterious kid heavily injured washed up on a beach when just nearby a fight broke out at the Schnee Company Harbor.

They asked me a few questions, stuff they normally ask, but I wasn't talking. I was too preoccupied with the questions inside my head. Why was I betrayed? Eventually because of my silence I was arrested and taken to a holding sell when I was mostly healed.

I spend a week in there with nothing else but my own thoughts, thoughts about how my life was over. I had nothing ahead of me, I'm a twelve year old about to be sent to prison for a good portion of my life, I didn't know what to do anymore.

Then I was taken from the cell I was in by some of the guards. 'I guess they're gonna question me again,' I thought. I was lead into a room with a table and two chairs, one of them currently being occupied by what I thought was the detective.

The man had gray hair with thin brown eyes, some spectacles resting below them, and what was weird was the man had a cane to the side, even though he didn't look that old. I stopped caring about that and sat down opposite to the man.

"So what is your name?" Was the first question the man asked.

"Ventus Aeris," I answered.

The man widened his eyes a bit, if only slightly, maybe because he was surprised that I answered the question. I didn't know and didn't care.

"Okay Ventus, I am Ozpin, and I have a few questions to ask you."

And ask he did, the man now named Ozpin questioned him on most of what I did, going from who he worked for, what he did, all the names he knew, that sort of thing. I answered them all truthfully. I had no respect or loyalty to people who would betray me.

My thoughts, as the questions ran on, started to go onto why they would betray me. It might have been because they thought I was a loose cannon. I was forced into this line of work, and while I could say at the time that I disliked them, they did give me somewhere to belong, even if it was to a life of crime. It was better than the orphanage at any rate.

Ozpin snapped in front of my face, bringing me out of my thoughts. I guess it was apparent that I wasn't paying attention that much.

"So now I have another question young Ventus," He said once I payed attention to him again.

"Would you have preferred to live a normal life? One free of crime?"

My train of thought froze. I was confused. Why did he ask me that? There was no reason to ask that, my opinions don't matter too much in this situation. It seemed like he was waiting for an answer though.

"Yes," I say after a few seconds.

"How about I offer you a trade then."

"What?"

"I can wipe your record, make it as if you never did anything wrong in the first place."

...

"That's too good to be true, there's no way you can do that," I reply after a few tense seconds, looking for signs of deceit in his body language, but I was finding none.

"But I can, of course for a price."

Ah.

That I can work with.

"What's the price?" I asked, now believing him a bit more.

"Become a hunter, that way your talents will be put to good use. You already have your Aura unlocked, and have a good amount of experience. I believe you could be capable."

Huh. A hunter?

I actually have never thought of that. I mean I knew of the Grimm that scour the landscape of Remnant, even fought a few for some combat experience, but the thought of being a hunter? Never even crossed my mind until now.

"Why me?" I needed to know why for some reason I was chosen. I'm just a criminal, I'm sure that there are almost hundreds of people like me out there, but he is giving me a way out.

"I believe in the good you could do." Ozpin said simply.

I didn't know whether to believe him or not. He's obviously not stating the whole truth, but for now I need to look at the options. Either go to jail, maybe escape, but have the rest of my life ruined, or take this opportunity and become a hunter. Admittedly there isn't much of an option.

"Fine, I'll become a hunter."

We talked it over a bit more, going over the details. I had to do a bit of paperwork here and there to give myself an identity, since I had none recently. It was then decided I would start at Signal, since I was of age to start school there. I had to sign a few contracts saying I would become a hunter and not do any more crime, stuff like that, but eventually Ozpin did do what he said and he cleared my name.

I was able to get an apartment close to Signal, I was to live by myself for now. Ozpin promised he would make sure the people would betrayed me would pay so I didn't have to worry about them coming back to finish the job so to speak.

I'll admit it, I didn't think things would turn out like this. But I'm actually glad they have. It's nice to know I don't have to be a criminal anymore, and being a hunter sounds like fun.

...

It would be nice to be a good guy.

...

...

...

Now to figure out how I'm supposed to act around kids my age.

* * *

Authors Note: This is my first try at a RWBY fic, as any time I tried to make one with just canon character I just couldn't get invested in it. So I decided why not make my own character. Be warned I haven't really planned that far ahead, this is just something for fun I decided to do. I haven't decided whether or not to place my character on a canon team, which doesn't really feel right to me, or make a completely new team, but that requires three new OC's that I haven't made. This chapter is really just backstory into Ventus's life before beacon, which is where Chapter 1 will take place mostly. Tell me in the reviews whether or not you liked this first person style of writing, or if I should switch it into third person.

Anyway I'm rambling too much. Thank you and cya later!


End file.
